Lifting tongs



. M, 1943 H. E. BULLINGTON 2,336,527

LIFTING TONGS Filed May '7, 1942 Patented Dec. 14, 1943 UNITED STATE I a p FFECE LIFTING TONGS Application May 7, 1942, Serial No. 4 2356 1 Claim.

My invention relates to lifting tongs, more particularly having reference to a set of tongs designed for lifting fruit jars and cans in preserving and canning operations.

The present invention contemplates certain improvements in liftin tongs of this kind designed to ensure firm engagement of the article to be lifted and further being easy to manipulate.

One of the objects of the invention is accordingly to provide a new and improved set of lifting tongs for fruit jars and containers that provide for firm engagement of the article to be lifted and include prevention against accidental release of the article.

A further object of the invention is to provide in lifting tongs a body portion for the tong mechanism that is cheaply and easily manufactured and convenient for operation of the tongs.

A still further object of the invention is to prov de in conjunction with the improved body portion a series of article engaging fingers mounted thereon and spring actuated into engagement with the article to be lifted, there being included a convenient manual release for the article engaging fingers.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the accompanying descript on taken in conjunction with the drawing wherein like characters of refence indicate like parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Fig. l is a side view of the tongs complete, the gripping members being shown in position for engagement of the article to be lifted.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the discs for mounting the fingers.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the plate showing the manner of connecting it to the rod 5.

Having reference to the drawing, in order to provide an economically manufactured device I use a blank cut to provide a fiat body portion l and integral ear portions 2-2 bent to form tubular sockets for engagement of a wire handle 3. The body I further includes a center section cut and bent to form an ear or tab 4 pierced to form a guideway for a rod 5.

To the lower end of the body I are attached discs 5 and i, the lower disc being attached to the extreme end of the body and the upper disc being in contact therewith.

These discs are each cut at quarterly intervals to provide depending tabs. The cut for each tab extends along one side from a line parallel to a radial line of the disc, indicated by the numeral 8. Figure 2, and then at right angles thereto to the edge of the disc as indicated by numeral 9. This cut portion is bent downward at right angles to the discs and truncated to form tabs, those for the upper disc being indicated by the numeral ill and for the lower disc by the numeral H.

The discs are placed together with the tabs in pair and spaced apart to provide a space for mounting fingers l2 by means of pins I 3. The fingers each includes a claw member M for engaging the jar to be lifted, each claw being cut away at the end, as at i5, for more firmly gripping the jar to be lifted.

The rod 5 extends through suitable aligned openings in the discs to be freely movable endwise.

The lower end of the rod 5 is threaded and mounts a nut is between which and a similar nut threaded on the end of the rod is carried a plate It. Said plate provides four wings, indicated by numeral I8, said wing each having a suitable openin for reception of a finger l2.

On the rod 5 between the plate I1 and lower disc 1 is a coiled spring l9 normally forcing the plate downward to bring the claws l4 into grippin engagement with the jar to be lifted. The upper end of rod 5 provides a finger grip 20 by which the rod may be moved to lift the plate H and by so doing spread the jaws into position for release of a jar. This movement of plate I! compresses spring l9 so that on release of the rod 5 the plate I! will be forced downward to move the fingers l2 and bring the claws I 4 into article gripping position.

By this means engagement of the jar becomes automatic by release of the rod *5 and the fingers are virtually locked in engaging relation to the jar by the plate I! to be released only by drawing up on the rod 5.

While I have herein described a preferred embodiment of my invention it is obvious that changes in construction and arrangement of part and elements would be possible within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

Lifting tongs of the character described including a body member, a handle attached to one end of the body member, upper and lower superimposed discs attached to the other end of the body member, said discs each being cut to provide integral tabs at quarterly intervals bent right angular to the bodies of the discs, said tabs being arranged in pairs, a finger pivotally mounted between each pair of tabs, an integral tab on the body member, said tab and discs providing openings for mounting a rod free to move endwise therein, said rod including a finger grip at one end, a late carried by the other end of the rod, said plate providing openings for re ception of the fingers by which the fingers may be actuated in and out of article gripping position by endwise movement of the rod, and a spring on the rod normally holding the plate with the fingers in article gripping position.

HAROLD EUGENE BULLINGTON. 

